THE INITIAL AUSTRALIAN EXPERIENCE OF TC-99M SESTAMIBI SCINTIMAMMOGRAPHY - A COMPLEMENTARY TEST IN THE MANAGEMENT OF BREAST-CANCER

Background: The adjunctive role of Tc-99 m sestamibi scintimammography in the diagnosis and management of patients with a high probability o f breast cancer was assessed. Methods: A descriptive study of 16 patie nts with palpable masses who had a high probability of breast cancer a s determined by investigations such as cytology and conventional imagi ng techniques were carried out. All patients were followed-up to surge ry. Results: Scintimammography true positive results were found in 14 of 18 lesions detected in 16 patients. There were two false-positives, which included one lobar carcinoma in situ lesion and one complex scl erosing lesion, and one false-negative patient. Scintimammography dete cted abnormal radiotracer uptake in four of six patients with axillary metastases. Three patients had clinically and mammographically undete cted multicentric disease detected on scintimammography which allowed appropriate modification of surgical excision. Breast cancer was detec ted in a patient with breast prostheses. Conclusions: Scintimammograph y would appear to have a useful adjunctive role to mammography in the diagnosis of breast cancer. The diagnosis of breast cancer may be enha nced in difficult cases and the detection of multicentricity on scinti mammography may have an impact on subsequent surgical management.